196 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



our soils to make and keep them in a suitable condition for 

 providing food and lodging for our plants. 



There are four general methods of cultivating soils : 

 (i) Digging, (2) Trenching, (3) Hoeing, and (4) Raking. 



Digging : Digging is of two kinds, single and double. 

 The best tool to use is a No. 3 Spade made of cast steel. 

 Amateurs should not be tempted by the nice appearance 

 of the No. i Spades, unless, of course, lack of strength 

 compels them to forego the use of a No. 3. No. 3 Spade 

 has a blade 12 ins. long, the blade of No. i is hardly 9 ins. 



In digging over a plot of ground by the " single " method, 

 a trench to the depth of i ft. is taken out right along the 

 width of the plot and the earth wheeled away to the other 

 end of the plot. Then 3 ins. of manure is put into the 

 trench. Now take out a second trench along the side of 

 the first trench, turning the soil on to the manure in the first 

 trench, and thus leaving open a second line of trench. Three 

 ins. of manure is put at the bottom of this, and then another 

 line of soil turned on to it. In this way go on working back- 

 wards to the end of the plot, and the soil taken out of the 

 first trench and wheeled away, is used for filling up the 

 last trench. 



Double digging takes somewhat longer. Take out a 

 trench i ft. deep along one side of a plot of ground and 

 wheel it to the opposite side as already described. Then 

 standing in the trench take two or three spadefuls out at 

 one end of it, leaving a hole nearly 2 ft. deep. Into 

 the bottom of this put a layer of manure, and stepping back, 

 still in the trench, turn the soil over into the hole, covering 

 the manure to the depth of nearly i ft. Then put manure 

 into the second hole and turn the next portion of the trench 

 into it Continue this operation to the end of the trench, 

 where there will be a hole to fill up with the earth from the 

 first hole at the other end of the trench. But we are still 

 left with a trench about i ft. deep along the first line. 

 Put manure into this, and then open up a second line of 

 trench by turning the soil into the first line. Then dig out 

 a hole at the end of this second trench, put manure in, and 



